the key to catharsis
by pageleaf
Summary: "When Louis Litt tries to hire Harvey for an inception job, Harvey isn't about to accept-of course, then Louis offers him the only thing he's wanted for a very long time, and Harvey can't exactly refuse." Inception fusion, Harvey/Mike


Louis Litt is a very determined, very convoluted strategist. He tells them their job while his men have a very real gun to Kyle's head, and a metaphorical one to Harvey's.

"I hear there's a warrant for your arrest in the U.S.," Louis says casually, inspecting his fingernails. He looks up shrewdly. "Don't you want to go back?"

"Why would I want to go back?" Harvey says impassively.

"Don't you want to see your family?" Louis asks.

"I don't have a family," Harvey says flatly.

"Oh," Louis says, "so you don't give a shit about your brother's kids, then, is that it?" and smiles.

Harvey exhales through his nose, and takes the job.

* * *

><p>"Uncle Harvey?" says a childish voice. "Where's Daddy?"<p>

Harvey closes his eyes and breathes out. "Daddy's not coming back, James sweetheart," he says. "We've talked about this."

Another voice comes on the line, a young girl this time, slightly older than James. "Aunt Jessica says you're coming back," Phillipa says. "Soon. Are you?"

Harvey clutches the phone with a white-knuckled grip. "I hope so, Phillipa."

* * *

><p>"You can't build, is that it?" Jessica asks him casually, leaning back in her chair, hands folded.<p>

"Yes," Harvey admits through gritted teeth.

"Are you going to tell me why?" Jessica looks at him thoughtfully, cataloguing the dark circles under his eyes (like he doesn't get enough sleep—like he has restless dreams, except when someone's been on the job as long as Harvey, they can't dream anymore. Not by themselves).

"No," Harvey says, but it sounds almost apologetic, like he wants to, but can't make himself do it. Jessica understands.

"I have just the man for you."

* * *

><p>"You're a kid," Harvey says, looking Mike up and down. "I don't need a kid, I need a grown goddamn man."<p>

Mike smirks and says, "So what if I'm a kid? We both know that I'm smart enough." That's all he says.

That's all Harvey needs.

* * *

><p>"A totem," Rachel says, holding up a small metal figurine. It looks like a cat. "You need one."<p>

Mike automatically reaches out to see the details of the figurine.

"Uh-uh," Rachel says, pulling her hand back. "You can't know what it feels like. That kind of defeats the purpose."

"What's it for?" Mike asks.

"It keeps us sane," Rachel says.

* * *

><p>"What are you fidgeting with?" Harvey asks him impatiently, on their third day.<p>

Mike wordlessly pulls his hand out of his pocket. It contains a key, enclosed in his fist. The way he's holding it, Harvey can't see the pattern of its blade. It's not an accident.

Harvey nods, a little impressed despite himself. "Well, go on, then," he says, gesturing to the space behind them.

Mike smiles, and behind him, columns erupt.

* * *

><p>"We need the best," Harvey says thoughtfully.<p>

"Go find Donna, then," Rachel says, looking up from a file in her lap. "She's in Delhi."

"How do you know where she is?" Harvey asks.

Rachel snorts. "Like you don't?"

* * *

><p>"I got attacked by a projection, yesterday," Mike says to Donna.<p>

"That's not uncommon," Donna says, pulling a tube of lipstick out from her pocket. "Oops, not that one," she says, hefting it like she's feeling its weight, and puts it back. She opens the next one and applies it to her lips.

"This projection was important," Mike says. "I could feel it. He—he stabbed me, right—" he points to right under his ribcage "—right here."

"Again, not uncommon," Donna says.

"And Harvey called him by name," Mike says.

Donna looks up, eyes suddenly sharp. "What was the name?"

"William," Mike says.

* * *

><p>"So who is he?" Mike asks Harvey. "Best friend? Boyfriend? Brother—"<p>

Harvey whirls on him, eyes flashing with anger. "Stay out of it," he hisses. "It's none of your business."

He strides away, and Mike stares after him, incredulous, before shouting, "It is if it keeps getting me stabbed!"

He turns back around to see Rachel looking at him with a mix of reproach and sympathy. Mike frowns. "What?"

"That last one was right," she says.

"Brother?" Mike repeats. "Really? What, do they not get along, or something?"

"He died," Rachel says softly. "Three years ago. He committed suicide."

"Oh," Mike says, as his stomach drops.

* * *

><p>"You can't just keep him locked in here," Mike yells, voice hoarse like he's been screaming, which, maybe he has, "like he's in a cage."<p>

"It's the only thing I can do," Harvey whispers, and it's the closest to broken Mike's ever heard him sound.

Mike sighs as they resurface, pulling the needle of the PASIV out from his arm. "You've got to let him go, Harvey."

Harvey says nothing.

"Does the team know?" Mike asks. "Do they know how bad it's gotten?"

"No," Harvey says shortly.

Mike doesn't beg him to tell them—he knows it won't work. "Take me with you," he says instead. "Someone has to know."

* * *

><p>The job is three levels deep. The mark is an unsuspecting, fresh-faced young woman who recently got married. She's a lawyer, and on her way to becoming very, very successful.<p>

"Why do you want her to quit?" Harvey asks, not for the first time.

"That's not important," Louis says testily, also not for the first time. "But I know how you can make her."

Her name is Dana Scott.

* * *

><p>"You can't die during the job," Benjamin says.<p>

"Why the hell not?" Harvey asks impatiently.

"The sedative, it's too strong," Benjamin explains irritably. "You'll drop into Limbo."

Donna curses. The widening of Harvey's eyes scares Mike even more.

* * *

><p>"We were under," Harvey tells him, finally. Mike listens intently. "We were so, so far under."<p>

"How far?" Mike asks softly.

Harvey looks up at him, eyes already a little distant. "Limbo."

"And?" Mike inquires.

"And," Harvey says, "when he woke up, he thought he was still in the dream."

Mike closes his eyes, his heart aching for Harvey.

* * *

><p>Louis dies on the third level, shot by one of the guard-projections. Harvey swears.<p>

"I have to go after him," he says resolutely.

"Rachel doesn't have to give us the kick yet," Donna says. "There's time."

"But is there _enough_," Harvey asks.

* * *

><p>Scott is oblivious, Harvey thinks.<p>

He thinks that up until the moment when she whips around and shoots him in the chest.

* * *

><p>When Mike wakes up, washed up onto a beach, he blinks into the bright sun.<p>

He looks around, and there is Harvey. "Harvey!" he yells, and Harvey turns to him. His face is tight with pain.

"Harvey," Mike says again, when he reaches him. "Are you all right? Where are we?"

"Limbo," Harvey says. _Oh_, Mike thinks. Harvey shakes his head as if to clear it, and grabs Mike by the shoulders. "Who else got shot? Who else is here?"

"Just me," Mike reassures him. "When I bled out, Donna was talking Scott down."

When they've made their way onto the deserted road, Mike says. "Do you think the job will still work?"

"Let's hope so," Harvey mutters.

* * *

><p>"We built all this," William says, voice breaking. "We built all this <em>together<em>, Harvey. Won't you stay with me?"

"I can't," Harvey says, but his voice is trembling. Mike clenches his fists until his nails cut into his palms. "It's my fault you're dead. I've got to take care of the kids."

"Harvey," Mike says. "What are you talking about?"

Harvey closes his eyes and shudders out a breath.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong?" Harvey says weakly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."<p>

Louis, his face wrinkled and grey with age, smiles faintly. "A specter," he murmurs.

Harvey smirks, and tosses him the second gun.

* * *

><p>"Harvey," Mike says, grabbing his arm when they're leaving the airport.<p>

Harvey stops, turns to face him. "Yeah, Mike?"

"Just—" Mike swallows, gives him a shaky smile. "Come visit, all right?"

"What are you talking about?" Harvey says. "You're coming home with me."

Mike blinks, falters. "I—what?"

"You got somewhere else to be?" Harvey asks.

Mike shakes his head. "For how long?" he asks, but Harvey can see the hope growing in his face.

Harvey throws his free arm around Mike's shoulders. "For however long we want."

* * *

><p>Jessica smiles at them, and doesn't blink when Harvey says Mike's coming with him.<p>

She takes them home.


End file.
